


The Book Called: The Tinder Box

by Whistle_Mist



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Robin (Comics), Robin (Comics)
Genre: Gen, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:54:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25858531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whistle_Mist/pseuds/Whistle_Mist
Summary: Glancing over at Drake Damian paused before smirking. "Is that a child's book?""Mm-hm," Tim said not phased at all as his small smile didn't falter. "It's one of my favorites."
Relationships: Tim Drake & Damian Wayne
Comments: 8
Kudos: 142





	The Book Called: The Tinder Box

Tim rolled his eyes as he stood outside the room across from him.

It was Damian's room and the Demon had gotten injured. Ironically not from patrol but rather form his school in which Damian Wayne couldn't possibly be able to save himself from such a tragic accident but that idiot had somehow missed the mats and landed right on solid concrete.

It was all over the news of Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne's youngest son's face flat knocked out cold on the slab of concrete. Jason had laughed his head off, Dick was cried out and nearly ran out of the cave in his costume.

Then something happened and the Bat-family was called out except the two youngest. Damian for getting banged up and Tim had just been recovering from another serious flu. Missing a spleen was not fun and when Tim caught something it was hell.

So, Bruce had asked him to watch Damian and Tim being the ever-loyal and perfect (According to his old brothers) son agreed, because spending time with a kid who tried to kill you or seriously harm you once every few weeks is fun.

Book in hand Tim sighed wondering if he should go in or if he should pretend to be to sick to aid the younger Bat. After a few minutes, Tim sighed again before going into the room.

He was met with a glare.

"Pardon me your highness, but please allow this lowly servant near you."

"Tt." Damian glared at him before kindly flipping him off. "Get out."

"Hm," Tim walked over to a chair near the bed before sitting down. "You ignore me and I'll ignore you and when the other's come home we talked, and sorted things out."

Damian moved to yell at him before hissing in pain grabbing his ribs before sitting back against his pillow. He was never going to live this humiliation down. So instead of wasting his time, he watched some tv.

Nothing interesting.

Glancing over at Drake Damian paused before smirking. "Is that a child's book?"

"Mm-hm," Tim said not phased at all as his small smile didn't falter. "It's one of my favorites."

Frowning Damian looked at the cover. It had what looked like a toy soldier and three large strange-looking dogs. It had a strange title.

"... 'The Tinder Box'...?"

"It's an old fairy tale," Tim said as he flipped the page. "I used to read it all the time when I was little."

"...What's it... about?" Damian asked trying to look closer.

Blinking Tim looked up and they paused before Tim closed the book before facing it to Damian. He pointed to the cover.

"The Solider comes home from war." The third Robin said. "He then comes across a witch," This is where Tim moved his finger to the old witch. "She asked him to retrieve her a Tinder Box down inside an old well. She tells him about the demon dogs that guard their own treasure chests of copper, silver, and gold."

"What's that have to do with the Tinder thing?"

"You would have to read it to understand it."

"Read it to me," Damian demanded.

Tim raised an eyebrow at him. "No."

"...Please..." Damian mumbled.

"... Did you just say...?"

"Are you going to read it or not?!"

* * *

"Read it again."

"Damian, that's the third time, I read it too you."

"I like it."

"Alright. "Once there was a Solider returning from War..."

"There you are Drake," Damian said before placing The Tinder Box in the other's hands. "Read it."

"You seem to have grown on this book. Alright, Once there was a Solider..."

"Grayson, Todd, have you two idiots seen Drake?"

"Not since we got back, Dami." Dick said as he pulled off his mask. "Why?"

"He's probably going to try and killed him again," Jason said as Damian took off. "Pfft, look at his new weapon of choice."

"It looks like a fairy tale book... Uh, Tinder something?"

"The Demon's probably going to set Tim on fire."

"That's not funny Jason!"

* * *

Tim was shaken awake slowly. Blinking he yawned when he noticed the book in front of him and blinked at it before leaning over to see the clock.

"It's seven am Damian... to earlier for us bats or even stories."

"You did not read it to me last night." Damian insisted pushed Drake out of the bed's warm spot. "Read it."

"...Okay..." Tim yawned pulled the book over and open it. "Once there was..."  
\--

Over the next few weeks, Damian demanded to be read the tinderbox. After a while Tim got used to it and read it to the younger robin every night until one night he failed to show up to Damian's room.

Being Damian was angry. Now healed and just back from patrol in which Red Robin was absent Robin showered, there on some sweats before hurrying upstairs to confront the other when he was met with something.

The door to Drake's room was opened a foot and inside Damian could see Pennyworth and Thompkins looking over Drake. Had he been injured? Did something happen to him while the family was gone?

Before he could step in Drake started to cough harshly before hacking and wheezing, throwing up followed before he shivered horribly almost like a seizure but he was sweating as if hot.

"We can give him something for pain and I'll be upping his medicine for his missing spleen," Thompkins said. "Alfred... he shouldn't even be in the field."

"He wasn't, he was at Wayne Enterprises picking up some folders he left when this sickness hit him."

"And hit him hard." Dr. Thomkins sighed as she pulled out some pain pills. "Alright, Tim here, let's get these down... No, Alfred, I'm afraid he might throw it up. Do you have some morphine on you?"

"Of course," Alfred said taking out a needle and a vile. "one moment Master Tim and you will be alright."

The dosage was a high one, Damian noted. Was Drake's sickness always this bad? Well, it wasn't like Drake would let anyone in his room when he was sick. Not even Grayson was allowed only Pennyworth and Father could go in.

* * *

Damian heard someone coming so he casually walked to his room opening and pretended to be coming out when his Father sped by and into Drake's room closing it. Curious Damian called to throw the vents to spy on them.

He watched them fret, watched Drake trembling as if he was cold and yet they claimed his temperature was too high. An ice bath was called for and it was one that seemed almost like torture because Drake kept shaking his head as they lowered him into the cold watered filled with ice.

After Drake was deemed at a safe fever his Father lifted him out before helping the other dry off and change into warm clothes. Pennyworth and Thompkins stripped the bed, sprayed something on it to kill anything that might cause sickness before re-bedding it and spraying that.

Drake was finally laid back in his bed. His eyes where glossy form the pain medicine they had given him. Damian watched as the two older ones left but his Father stayed to comfort Drake.

Frowning Damian watched confused about why someone so sick need that much comfort. Still, there was something about it. After a couple of hours, his Father was forced to retire to rest, (With Drake reminding him in his high state that he had a meeting in the morning) and so Damian was just there in the vent.

Crawling out Damian landed on the floor of Drake's room. The other hadn't even noticed him. His eyes closed, his breathing heavy with the struggled to breathe. He even trembled when taking in a breath.

Tim jolted a bit when someone pressed up against his side causing his head to lay on someone's shoulder. It was all foggy but he glanced up to see Damian. Wow, hallucinations, much?

"Stop looking at me like that." Damian rolled his eyes before opening the book, The Tinder Box, "'Once there was a Solider returning from War when he came upon an old woman. The old woman was a witch in disguise who wanted a Tinder Box that had fallen down the well. The soldier who had thought she was mad thought it kind to humor her and so the Solider..."

Tim watched before smiling slowly.

Neither of them noticed a Bat watching them with a rare smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Moved over from Net


End file.
